


Truth or Lie?

by TheRomanticSadist



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Cabeswater - Freeform, First Kiss, Flowers, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, M/M, Magic, Playing Games, Swearing, post-BLLB, pynch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-20 10:02:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6001855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRomanticSadist/pseuds/TheRomanticSadist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I like you,” Adam repeated, his accent slipping out. “A lot.” He had ceased playing with grass, his attention was fully on Ronan. Intense blue eyes forced Ronan to match the stare. “Is that a truth or a lie?” Adam kept his voice steady and even. Ronan inhaled shakily, feeling the much needed support of the tree trunk on his back. He swallowed. Licked his lips.</p><p>Exhaled.</p><p>“Lie.”<br/>--<br/>Ronan Lynch would never tell a lie. Adam Parrish wonders how good he is at detecting them in other people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Truth or Lie?

**Author's Note:**

> There's a tiny bit of swearing, but it's Ronan.  
> I recommend these songs whilst reading, if you want!  
> [ X ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ifR2A9Afbk) [ X ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKlTgVbppJk)  
> Thank you to [ Kim ](https://rryoutah.tumblr.com) for beta-reading~

“No.”

Adam pressed his lips together in a thin line. “You won’t be the one lying.” He stressed. The game was simple: Adam would say a sentence and Ronan would determine whether he was telling him the truth or a lie. Adam would then reveal if he was right or not. So much had happened to them in the past year that neither boy was sure if they truly knew each other anymore. “How about we stop once you get three wrong?”

Ronan snarled. “You think I’ll get it wrong? I know when I hear a lie. Declan does it all the time, remember?” Adam simply raised an eyebrow, challenging him. 

“Winner gets something from the loser.” Adam said, silently urging Ronan to agree.

Ronan tensed. Adam grinned. He leant back with his hands flat on the lush grass behind him. Confident. Ronan tapped his fingertips on his knee, considering the benefits of playing the game. All he had to do was tell Adam whether he thought he was lying or not. It would be an easy win! “Bring it on, Parrish.” He grinned, sharp and daring.

Adam snickered, sat forward again and waved his right hand to the trees above them. “One more thing. They can’t help you, tell them that.” If Adam was going to win, then he was going to be careful. Ronan rolled his eyes and relayed the message. Once he did so, he crossed his arms and leant on the tree trunk behind him. Adam remained sitting in the shade of one of Cabeswater’s trees. They mirrored each other, both sitting with their legs crossed under them. Ronan, protected by viridian leaves, his eyes darker than usual; Adam basking in the golden sunlight which kissed his dusty hair, caressed the freckles on his collar and his exposed arms.

“Get on with it then.”

Adam snorted at Ronan’s impatience. He glanced around, trying to get some kind of inspiration from the area around him. It was found quickly, blooming happily next to Ronan by the tree. Adam relaxed his face, trying to make himself as unreadable as possible. “I can make flowers grow.”

“No you can’t.” Ronan snapped. “That’s definitely a lie. Maybe a vine or some small shit like that, but there’s no way you can get a flower.” Ronan frowned, though his shoulders relaxed. Adam watched his reaction carefully, though made sure he didn’t give away anything. Judging by the way Ronan was looking at him too, he decided to reveal the answer. Ronan, after all, was curious.

“You’re wrong,” Adam smirked. “I can here.” With Cabeswater, his powers were a lot stronger than if he were anywhere else. Ronan narrowed his eyes, sceptical. Surely Adam wouldn’t really be able to. Ronan opened his mouth to argue but Adam held a hand up to stop him. 

The moment Adam did that, Ronan’s attention was drawn to his long fingers, the rough, callused joints and the ragged lines along his palm. Ronan closed his mouth.

Adam’s left hand had the palm facing up towards the clear skies and he placed his right over it, making sure there would be space for a flower to manifest. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and asked Cabeswater for what he wished. A surge of energy shot through his veins, warmth grew in his chest and a small weight pressed down on his palm.

Peeking down at his hands, Adam hesitantly opened them up and sighed in relief when in his hold, there lay a single pink tulip bud. The stem was thin, cut just where his fingertips were whilst the flower itself bloomed against the bottom of his palm. A joyous laugh escaped him when he realised that perhaps, not everything he made was horrific. Sitting across from him, Ronan’s eyes were wide with wonder. 

As a dreamer who could take what he wanted from his dreams, Ronan thought he would be able to acquire anything at all, if he wanted it. Yet here was Adam Parrish, smug and smiling because of a flower. Uncrossing his arms, Ronan let them rest on his legs and inspected the flower as Adam picked it up, tenderly holding the stem between his thumb and forefinger. “I thought Cabeswater wasn’t supposed to help?”

Adam snorted a laugh and leant forward. Ronan held his breath but didn’t move away as Adam came closer to him. “Cabeswater,” Adam said with a smile, coming within inches of Ronan’s face, “wasn’t supposed to help you.” With great care, Adam tucked the tulip behind Ronan’s right ear, his fingers brushing against Ronan’s cheekbone. Adam resisted the urge to grin triumphantly as Ronan’s cheeks began matching the same shade as the petals.

“Whatever,” Ronan muttered, pushing Adam back gently with a hand on his shoulder. “Next one.”

Adam allowed himself to sit back on the soft meadow. For a second, he admired how the tulip hung perfectly behind Ronan’s ear, not falling even at the slightest of movements. A part of him felt it was strange that Ronan had yet to protest its presence there. He shouldn’t have been so surprised – Cabeswater was always unpredictable, a bit like Ronan. “Adam.” Adam jolted, blinking a couple of times when he realised he had spaced out. He ignored it and thought of what he would tell Ronan next.

“I can’t bake to save my life,” he said, picking at the grass in front of his legs, “but I can cook real well.”

Ronan snorted. “Truth.”

Adam froze, lips pressed together. His eyes flickered up and eventually, his shoulders relaxed. Ronan was waiting for an answer. “Fine.” The smile broke across his face and soon Ronan returned it, though his was slightly feral.

“Cook for me, Parrish.” He teased, teeth showing in his grin. 

“I’m not your damn housewife!” Adam tried to hide his amusement at the mental image, throwing a handful of grass at his face to show exactly what he thought of that idea.

Ronan brushed off the blades of grass from his black muscle top and his dark jeans, yet still didn’t remove the flower from behind his ear. His laughter joined Adam’s, both of them snickering at the childishness of their actions. It was nice to have a time like this one, to forget about the dangers which loomed in the outside world. Instead, they had the tranquillity of the trees and the safe protection that Cabeswater granted to its Greywaren and magician. 

Ronan was the first to recover, though he spent a second to watch how the easy laughter left Adam, how Adam hid his smile behind his hand and how for one moment, he was allowed to forget his troubles and be happy. His trance was broken, however, when a bee flew towards his right ear, dancing near his tulip. His body jerked away and he swatted at the insect until it left him alone. The flower stayed tucked safely behind his ear. Adam, having calmed down, watched with glee in his eyes. “Shut it, Parrish,” Ronan scowled. Adam only shrugged in response. “Hurry up then, next one.”

Adam’s smile relaxed, trying to think of another statement about himself which would be difficult to tell whether it was the truth or a lie. Something specific. Something detailed account would be difficult. Adam met Ronan’s gaze. “I haven’t celebrated my birthday since,” Adam paused, his eyes cast up to the sky as he hummed, “… since I was seven.” He sat up a little straighter, wondering if Ronan would be right in his guess.

Ronan scoffed. “Lie.” It had to be a lie.

The noise of Cabeswater settled around them. 

The corner of Adam’s mouth twitched up. He bowed his head and picked at the grass with his hands as Ronan watched. “Wrong. That’s the second one.”

Ronan didn’t ask for another just yet. This didn’t make sense to him! How could people have known Adam’s birthday and not celebrated it for a decade? Ronan wondered if it would be too late to throw Adam a party. Guilt bubbled and bounced around his chest when the realisation hit him – even he didn’t know when Adam’s birthday was. It made sense, actually, that he didn’t since Adam had never spoken about it. This year, he decided, he’d find out and end that streak. It was ridiculous how Adam didn’t enjoy his birthday, especially given everything he’d gone through. This boy was a fighter, a survivor, and all but Adam seemed to know that he deserved at least a day for himself. Just as he opened his mouth to voice his opinion, Adam cut him off with his third statement. 

“I like you.”

Ronan stilled. Everything did.

He swallowed, his heartbeat so loud he swore all of Cabeswater could hear it, including Adam. Goosebumps pricked his arms, yet there was no wind. Just him and Adam. “What?” Ronan’s lips barely moved, the word a whisper, though it was strong enough to shatter the silence. 

“I like you,” Adam repeated, his accent slipping out. “A lot.” He had ceased playing with grass, his attention was fully on Ronan. Intense blue eyes forced Ronan to match the stare. “Is that a truth or a lie?” Adam kept his voice steady and even. Ronan inhaled shakily, feeling the much needed support of the tree trunk on his back. He swallowed. Licked his lips.

Exhaled.

“Lie.”

Adam’s jaw clenched. He blinked. Ronan held his breath, didn’t move a muscle and waited for the answer. Adam didn’t like him. Adam _couldn’t_ like him. Not when he could have anyone he wanted.

Slowly, the tension eased at the same time as Adam relaxed. “Wrong again.” Adam smiled. It was not joyous, nor was it sad. It was simply a smile. Ronan didn’t have the chance to ask more when Adam said, “That’s three you’ve gotten wrong so, what do I win?” Adam raised an eyebrow and tilted his head in question. Was this really all just a game to him?

“What do you want?” Ronan asked softly, brows furrowed. Exactly what did Adam want? Or rather, what did Adam Parrish want _from him_ that he was willing to accept? Questions were flooding Ronan’s head, and he was drowning in them. 

Adam leant forward, one hand on the small patch of grass between them, another reaching out to be placed under Ronan’s chin. Sharp stubble brushed against his fingertips. His eyes dropped to Ronan’s lips.

“A kiss from you.”

Ronan jerked away, flinching away from the lingering touch. The flower fell from behind his ear. Adam bit his lip and withdrew his hand. Who was he to think he was allowed to touch someone like Ronan?

Ronan refused to look at Adam. “Don’t fuck with me, Parrish.” He growled. “Just don’t.” Pity was not something he wanted. If anyone understood that, it should have been Adam. His hands clenched into fists in his lap and he glared at daffodils to his left.

“I’m not.” Adam spoke up. Though tempted to, Ronan didn’t turn to look at him. He heard Adam sigh. “Unless,” Adam chewed on his lower lip, trying to meet Ronan’s gaze without moving abruptly. “You don’t want to kiss me?” Ronan forced himself to breathe slowly, focusing on the fresh air, willing the flush to leave his cheeks. Adam swallowed down his regret, refusing to let it weigh him down. This was a mistake. This whole game was a mistake. Of course he had been wrong about Ronan; maybe he wasn’t the only unknowable one here. “I’m sorry.” Adam said. Everything they had, he thought, was now gone because of one miscalculation. His fault.

Uncrossing his legs, Adam scrambled to get up. They had driven here in the BMW, but even if he had to wait outside of Cabeswater, it would be better than staying here. Brushing off the grass from his worn jeans, he turned to leave.

A warm hand clasped his fingers.

“Why the fuck would you think that I don’t want to kiss you?” Ronan asked softly. Adam looked over his shoulder and watched Ronan stand up. He never let go of his hand. Ronan tugged, making Adam turn back to face him. “You weren’t lying?” 

“Not about you.” Adam confirmed. “I thought— it doesn’t matter.” Adam shook his head, eyes trying to fixate on everything but Ronan. “It doesn’t matter that I want to and you don’t. It’s fine.” So what? Adam Parrish coveted something out of his reach. It had been happening his whole life. One more rejection was nothing.

“Adam.” He looked up at the sound of his name. Ronan was studying him with a sort of wonder that Adam couldn’t really believe was directed to him. “I want to.” Ronan’s other arm went around Adam’s waist, his hold safe and careful. Adam didn’t relax, but he didn’t pull away either.

Taking another risk, Adam brought his hands up to cup Ronan’s face. Both of his little fingers were cushioned under his jawline, his palms scratched by the stubble. Adam shuffled ever so slightly closer, until they were only inches apart. “Really?”

“When do I ever lie?” Ronan whispered. The sincerity cut through most of Adam’s doubt.

He had to be completely certain. “You sure about this?” Adam breathed, tiptoeing so he’d be closer. Ronan’s arm around his waist tightened so he would be able to keep him steady.

Ronan blew out a sigh. “Fuck’s sake, Parrish, if you ask me again I swear to—” Adam kissed him. He drew him in and pressed himself against Ronan’s body. Ronan’s eyes widened, his voice muffled and a rose tint blossomed across his cheeks. Adam’s hands were warm and Ronan recognised the scent of mist and moss, intruded with an intense twist of gasoline. Surely Adam’s fingers beneath his jaw could feel just how fast his pulse was going. Chapped lips, a contrast to Ronan’s, slid against his. Ronan parted his lips slightly and noticed how the faint taste of sweet plum juice lingered on Adam’s lips. He pulled him closer, eyes fluttering shut. One of Adam’s hands slid down to Ronan’s neck, slipping behind to reach the top of the tattoo. Adam gasped Ronan’s name into his mouth. Their lips smacked as they separated but Adam soon chased in for another kiss, pushing Ronan against the tree.

Ronan laughed between their kisses, at their clumsiness: the way their noses kept bumping and the way their teeth kept clacking. Ronan could only grasp onto Adam’s thin shirt, unsure of where else he was supposed to put his hands. Adam found the sound infectious, realising that he too was starting to giggle. Their snickers eventually got too much and Ronan decided to rest his forehead against Adam’s. Opening his eyes slowly, Ronan gazed at how Adam was just as breathless as he was. His full lips curled into a soft smile. This close, Adam could see how dark and curled Ronan’s eyelashes were. Ronan could inspect every golden freckle on his nose and the dimples on his cheeks when he grinned. Their chests heaved with happiness and disbelief, their faces flushed with faint blushes and their hearts rushed from the kisses.

In the shade of the trees, the two boys stood smiling at each other. Sweet and content, Cabeswater granted them as much time as they wanted. Minutes, hours, days could have passed, but it did not take its toll on them. For that moment, they were just boys. They were learning about each other. They were alive.

“You know,” Adam whispered, breath tickling Ronan’s lips. He smiled. “You got three wrong. I think I should get three kisses.”

“Don’t push your luck, Parrish.” Ronan said, and kissed him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!!  
> If you did and you're on tumblr, could you [ reblog it maybe? ](http://ravenboyparrish.tumblr.com/post/140046347762/)  
> Find me on [tumblr~](http://ravenboyparrish.tumblr.com/)  
> ~Drea  
> x
> 
> Edit: 23/7/16 - Hi! Could you also check out [ Pynch week ](http://pynchweek.tumblr.com/) on tumblr since I'm co-hosting it (and will probably participate in it too)! It would be great if you could spread the word and I hope to see some of you taking part as well! ♥ Thanks!


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